Hey Padfoot
by FanFictionLover13
Summary: Albus Severus finds a black puppy in the back woods. Ginny lets him keep it, but only if they find a suitable name. James Sirius finds the perfect one. Oneshot.


"Daddy!" Lily Luna Potter squealed, running inside. "Daddy, come here!"

Harry James Potter, immediately thinking that something was wrong, slid out of the living room in his socks, nearly crashing into the wall, but raised his wand up, searching for the danger. "What? What's wrong?"

"Come here!" Lily grabbed Harry's arm, dragging him outside.

"Hold on! Let me get my shoes on!" Harry quickly slipped on his trainers, adjusting his glasses as they nearly fell off. "What's going on? Why do you need me to come outside?"

"I'll show you! Hurry up, Daddy!" Lily laughed, flying out the door with Harry quickly following. "Al has been waiting!"

"Where are we going?!" Harry called after his youngest. "Hold on!"

"No! He might run away!"

"Huh?" Harry frowned, running after Lily. "Who might run away? Lily!"

"You'll see!" Lily turned a corner, running into the forest behind their house before stopping in front of a beech tree. "Here!"

Harry finally caught up to his daughter and paused, catching his breath. "You know...I find it really unfair...that my daughter...is faster than me..." he breathed.

Lily grinned widely, showing her pearly whites, before turning to the forest, cupping her mouth with her hands. "Al! Daddy's here!"

Albus Severus Potter's head peeked out from behind the beech tree, causing Lily and Harry to stumble in shock slightly. "Is Mum here?" he asked, looking around.

Lily shook her head, red hair flying. "Nope, just us 4."

"Us four?" Harry questioned, confused. "What are you talking about? There's only three of...us..." the-Boy-Who-Lived-Again trailed off when Al stepped out from behind the beech tree, holding a black puppy in his hands.

"Can we keep him?" Al pleaded, holding the puppy up, causing the puppy to whimper, pawing Harry's nose.

Harry only stared in shock. A cat or an owl was one thing...but a puppy? Puppies grow up to be dogs, and dogs are very...reckless. A memory washed over Harry as he remember his now deceased godfather, Sirius. He was a dog Animagus, and was very reckless. The memory hurt...but it was also reassuring. Perhaps...a dog wouldn't hurt...

"Absolutely not."

Ginerva "Ginny" Potter crossed her arms, cocking out a hip, and raising an eyebrow. She looked at Lily, then Albus, then up at Harry.

"What makes you think I will allow a dog in here?" Ginny demanded to her husband. Harry only gave her a helpless look in response.

"I...they...we...the dog..." Harry stuttered, causing Lily and Al to cover their mouths to cover their laughs. It was rare to see their father stutter.

"Yes?" Ginny said, tapping her foot on the hardwood floor of the dining room.

Harry sighed, then gestured for Al and Lily to explain.

"Well..." Al stared, shooting Lily a look. "I found the dog lost in the woods behind our house, scared and hungry. I made myself some sandwiches and went back outside to give them to him, so he wouldn't be so hungry. After I did that, he started following me around. I tried to get him to leave, but he still kept following me. That's when Lily came outside and saw him."

"He looked terrible, Mum!" Lily cried, waving her hands at the dog for effect. "I saw him and ran inside for Daddy, who nearly hit the wall and rushed outside with me, probably thinking something was wrong."

Ginny raised an eyebrow at Harry, causing him to blush slightly and rub the back of his head in embarrassment.

"So can we keep him?" Al pleaded. "I promise I'll eat my vegetables and clean up my room for the rest of my life!"

Ginny 'hmm'ed in response, not sure yet. "...well if we're keeping him, he'll need a name." she said. "Think of a name, then we'll see." with those last words, she departed into the kitchen.

Harry, Lily, and Al sat in the living room, the soon-to-be-named dog resting on the carpet.

"I'm sticking with Toto." Lily said firmly. "From that Muggle movie you showed us, Daddy. What was it again?"

"Wizard of Oz." Al supplied. "I don't like Toto, Fluffy's better."

"But Fluffy is so original." Lily complained. "Toto is much better." she sat on the carpeted floor of the living room and started calling to the puppy. "Toto! C'mere Toto! Come to Mommy!"

The puppy shook its head and sneezed.

"I don't think the puppy likes the name Toto, Lils." Harry smiled. He hadn't decided on a name yet, but he had a feeling that one was coming quickly.

"Told you." Al said, making Lily stick her tongue out at him. "Lemme try." he sat on the floor next to Lily and started beckoning to the puppy. "Here Fluffy! Come here, boy!"

The puppy rested its head on the floor, covering its eyes with its paws, whimpering.

"I don't think that the puppy like the name Fluffy either, Allie." Lily said teasingly.

"Don't call me that!" Al protested. "It's _Al_."

Before Lily could retort, someone thundered down the stairs and hopped onto the ground.

"James, what did I tell you about thundering down the stairs?" Harry said warningly.

"Sorry Dad!" James Sirius Potter replied, running past the living room and into the kitchen, before freezing and backtracking, walking into the living room with his dad and siblings. "Is that a dog?"

"No, James." Al said sarcastically. "Its a pigeon."

James rolled his eyes.

"We're thinking of names for the puppy." Harry supplied. "You're mother might let us keep it if we find a decent name for him. Have any ideas?"

"Hmm..." James Sirius walked over the pup and picked him up, looking at him eye-level, before breaking out in a grin. "Hey Padfoot."

Harry froze, wide-eyed. Padfoot...how could he have been so stupid? A black dog...Padfoot... "Perfect." Harry heard himself whisper.

The puppy barked happily, tail wagging.

James laughed a laugh, much like Sirius's. "Looks like he likes it!" he announced. "Let's go tell Mum!" without an answer he rushed back into the kitchen, Padfoot in hand, with his 2 younger siblings following him.

This left Harry Potter back in the living room, all alone. But he was happy about it. He smiled very softly, walking into the kitchen with his wife and kids.

Sirus may be gone...but at least Padfoot is still here...

***clear throat* So...yeah? This was horrible, I know. Review? Please?**


End file.
